India's healthcare system stands exposed, very clear we underinvested in health: EAM

Union External Affairs Minister, Dr S Jaishankar attended a virtual conversation, called ‘Global Dialogue Series’ on May 05.

He said, “Our healthcare system stands exposed, very clear that over 75 years we have underinvested in health. Maybe there were reasons, it's very easy to say you should've put in more money. Now that I'm in government, I can tell you it's not as easy as it sounds. This isn't a defence of today's situation, I'm saying this for over 75 years. It is that realisation that the Prime Minister was pushing for Ayushman Bharat as we had reached a stage where the Prime Minister genuinely believed we can't leave people to vagaries of private practitioners, however good they may be.”

He further said, “But having said that, you have what you have at this point of time which is an underinvested health sector over many decades...In a crisis today, even though I have limitations, I have to make that extra effort, find some way by which I can respond to today's crisis. If somebody is sick, if somebody is looking for oxygen, if somebody is looking for Remdesivir, they are not going to listen to policy explanation. They want to see practical answers on the ground.”